Ant colonies are protected against brain-manipulating parasitic
fungi by another fungusThe modus operandi of the Cordyceps fungi is
the stuff of nightmares. These parasites grow inside their insect
hosts by feeding off the non-vital organs, and manipulate the
hosts' behaviour so that they can reproduce. When it is ready to
produce spores, the fungus grows into the brain and releases
chemicals that make the host climb a plant then attach itself near
the top. It then kills its host by devouring its brain, before
sprouting a mushroom from the top of its head, which disperse its
spores as widely as possible.Cordyceps fungi can decimate entire
ant colonies, but some colonies can keep an infestation at bay and
survive for long periods of time. A new study now reveals how they
do so. It turns out that the zombie-ant fungus is itself
parasitized by another fungus, which limits its ability to...